But how can you guarantee that message is swallowed even when you can’t be with them?

Get your kids involved in the process. Take them shopping and get them involved in preparing and cooking food.

“Beforehand, get them into the cooking groove. Educate them on what they are putting into their body. Get them interested in that,” says 17-year-old Dirty Apron cooking instructor James Dean.

“If you get them in the kitchen at a young age and have fun, I am sure they will continue to enjoy it throughout their life.”

Dean, an alumnus of the Dirty Apron camps, is now passing on his passion and knowledge to kids aged seven to 17 who have signed up for the cooking school’s summer series of cooking camps.

The camps ­­— which run four hours a day for five days and are split into two age groups (7-11 and 12-17) — are in their fifth year of operation.

“I started to do this because I really believe in giving young children the life skill of cooking,” said Dirty Apron chef/owner David Robertson, who is a spokesman for Better Together, which promotes families cooking together.

“I wanted to do something different, not like regular kids cooking school where you go and learn how to make a pizza or macaroni and cheese. I wanted to do something that was very parallel to what I was teaching adults,” said Robertson. “When kids come here they do everything from scratch.”

When is the right time to start nurturing a love of cooking? Any time really, says Robertson. Just use common sense. Robertson says his five-year-old daughter helps in the kitchen and loves it.

Dean, who says his teenage friends love getting together and cooking, worked up an appetite for the kitchen very early on and suggests parents take a page from his book.

“If you have cable, watch the Food Network — that’s how I got started. I was a kid and sick one week and watching TV during the day and watching that,” said Dean. “I thought, ‘Wow, that looks like fun.’”

The recipes below are prepared during The Dirty Apron’s summer cooking camps for kids. Adult supervision is recommended.

Working with one chicken thigh at a time, place the chicken between two sheets of wax paper. Using a mallet, pound out the chicken until it is about ½-inch thick. Evenly season the chicken thigh with salt and pepper and coat with mustard. Set aside.

To set up the breading station, you will need three large plates: one for the flour, seasoned well with salt and pepper; one for the eggs, beaten; and the last plate for the panko.

Dredge the Dijon-coated chicken in flour, shaking off excess, and then dip into the egg mixture.

Heat 2 tbsp of canola oil with 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 chicken thighs to the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side, about 8-10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Transfer chicken to plates and garnish each with parsley and a lemon wedge. Serve with tartar sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Dirty Apron

Asian Sesame Slaw

6 cups green cabbage, very thinly sliced

3 cups carrots, shredded

2 cups fresh spinach, trimmed

½ cup + 1 tbsp rice vinegar

¼ cup oriental sesame oil

¼ cup sugar

3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 tsp soya sauce

Combine cabbage, carrots and spinach in a large bowl. Whisk vinegar, oil, sugar, ginger and soya sauce in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Season with salt and pepper. (Cabbage mixture and dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill).

Toss cabbage mixture with dressing. Season coleslaw with salt and pepper, and serve.

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